The Queens of Jamaican Dancehall
The New York Times
Editorial
Kingston, Jamaica
2019
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In dancehall, the woman asserts control over how her body is represented,” said Carolyn Cooper, the author of “Sound Clash: Jamaican Dancehall Culture at Large” and a professor at the University of the West Indies. “She controls who gets to touch and who can only look.
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It’s hard-core explicit content. That is really the definition of dancehall.
Spice
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In dancehall you have a lot of things that’s like taboo topics. The men are allowed to say what they want to unapologetically. I sing about topics that women want to talk about.
Ishawna
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People might bash me, but I’m showing people they should be free in their own life. I’m not standing for the things they stood for. If I want to do it, I’m going to do it. This generation is like that.
Shenseea
Pack up an leave if yuh nuh want mi / Cuz mi honestly rather be lonely / Yuh nav nuh time fi me, yuh all fi yuh self, I see
Jada Kingdom, Lyrics from “Love Situations”
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